Headwear

ABSTRACT

A sweatband and a headwear having improved wearing comfort by increasing elasticity thereof. The headwear including a wearing portion put on a wearer&#39; head, a visor portion connected to the wearing portion, a sweatband connected in the wearing portion and having a core sheet and a covering portion for covering the core sheet, wherein the covering portion is made of a fabric, the fabric is formed by crossing a plurality of weft threads and a plurality of warp threads, the plurality of weft threads or the plurality of warp threads include a stretch yarn, and the fabric is cut such that the stretch yarn is oriented in parallel to a circumferential direction to the wearing portion.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

(a) Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a headwear having a stretchable sweatband. More particularly, the present invention relates to a headwear having a stretchable sweatband by increasing an elasticity of the sweatband to improve a wearing comfort thereof.

(b) Description of the Related Art

Generally, a headwear (cap, visor, or the like) may include a wearing portion putting on a head and a visor portion entirely or partly connected along a circumferential direction to a lower portion of the wearing portion. Such a headwear may further include a sweatband connected along a circumferential direction in the lower portion of the wearing portion.

The sweatband may absorb a sweat output from a wearer's head or forehead so that it prevents a wearer from having discomfort feeling. Particularly, when the headwear has no size adjuster along a circumferential direction to the lower portion thereof, the sweatband has been made of a strip of an elastic material so as to accommodate different head sizes. The sweatband may be formed in an elastic band or may be designed such that a core sheet thereof, that is, an elastic band is covered by a fabric.

When the sweatband is formed in an elastic band, it has merits in that it may have a good stretch and various logos or characters woven in the elastic band, but it has a drawback in that it may have bad sweat absorptive and dissipative properties.

In addition, when the sweatband is designed such that a core sheet thereof, that is, an elastic band is covered by a fabric, it has merits in that it may include functional materials such as a sweat absorptive material or a sweat dissipative material in the fabric thereof, but it has a drawback in that it may not have a sufficient elasticity.

In addition, when the sweatband is designed such that a core sheet thereof, that is, an elastic band is covered by a fabric, the fabric has been generally cut obliquely or at an angle of 45° from a lengthwise direction to improve elasticity thereof. However, the sweatband may not have a sufficient elasticity because the elasticity thereof is decreased due to the sewing of between the elastic band and the fabric. In addition, when the fabric is cut obliquely or at an angle of 45° from the lengthwise direction(hereinafter, also referred to as a bias cut fabric), a lot of fabric may be wasted and it is difficult to deal with the bias-cut fabric, and thus, a productivity and a workability of the sweatband may not be deteriorated.

The above information disclosed in this Background section is only for enhancement of understanding of the background of the invention and therefore it may contain information that does not form the prior art that is already known in this country to a person of ordinary skill in the art.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention has been made in an effort to provide a headwear having a stretchable sweatband having advantages of improving a wearing comfort by increasing elasticity of the sweatband.

In addition, the present invention has been made in an effort to provide a headwear having a stretchable sweatband having advantages of providing an improved productivity and workability.

In addition, the present invention has been made in an effort to provide a headwear having a stretchable sweatband having advantages of providing good sweat absorptive and dissipative prosperities as well as maximizing elasticity thereof.

An exemplary embodiment of the present invention provides a headwear including a wearing portion put on a head, a visor portion connected to the wearing portion, and a sweatband connected in the wearing portion and having an core sheet and a covering portion for covering the core sheet, wherein the core sheet is an elastic band and the covering portion is made of a fabric, the fabric includes a stretch yarn as a plurality of warp threads or weft threads and is cut such that the stretch yarn is oriented in parallel to a lengthwise direction.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1A is a schematic plane view showing how much a fabric cut at an angle of 45° from a lengthwise direction is deformed when it is extended lengthwise.

FIG. 1B is a schematic plane view for showing how much a fabric cut vertically or horizontally is deformed when it is extended lengthwise.

FIG. 2A is a schematic plane view showing how much a fabric-covered sweatband is deformed when it is extended lengthwise, in which the fabric is cut at an angle of 45° from a lengthwise direction.

FIG. 2B is a schematic plane view showing how much a fabric-covered sweatband is deformed when it is extended lengthwise, in which the fabric is cut vertically or horizontally.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a headwear having a sweatband according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a graph showing a relation between a stretch and a load according to the orientations of a plurality of threads of a fabric of a fabric-covered sweatband when it is extended lengthwise.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

A preferred exemplary embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to attached drawings.

In the specification, a sweatband is sewn to a hat such as a baseball cap as shown in FIG. 3, but is not limited thereto.

For example, according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the sweatband may be sewed to a visor as well as the baseball cap.

In the specification, “a warp thread” is defined as a lengthwise (X-axis direction of FIG. 1A) thread and “a weft thread” is defined as a widthwise (Y-axis direction of FIG. 1A) thread.

FIG. 1A is a schematic plane view showing how much a fabric cut at an angle of 45° from a lengthwise direction is deformed when it is extended lengthwise and FIG. 1B is a schematic plane view for showing how much a fabric cut vertically or horizontally is deformed when it is extended lengthwise. FIG. 2A is a schematic plane view showing how much a fabric-covered sweatband is deformed when it is extended lengthwise, in which the fabric is cut at an angle of 45° from a lengthwise direction and FIG. 2B is a schematic plane view showing how much a fabric-covered sweatband is deformed when it is extended lengthwise, in which the fabric is cut vertically or horizontally.

Firstly, as shown in FIG. 1A and FIG. 1B, two types of fabrics have been prepared and extended lengthwise in range of about 30% thereof. Herein, the one fabric of FIG. 1A includes a stretch yarn as the weft thread and is cut such that the weft thread is oriented at an angle of 45° from a lengthwise direction (hereinafter, referred to as a bias cut fabric) and the other fabric of FIB. 1B includes a stretch yarn as the warp or weft thread and is cut such that the stretch yarn is oriented in parallel to a lengthwise direction (hereinafter, referred to as a parallel cut fabric).

As a result, when the fabric is cut such that the weft thread is oriented at an angle of 45° from the lengthwise direction and the weft thread is given as a stretch yarn, it has provided a good stretch, but the fabric is deformed and thus the width thereof may be decreased from W to W′.

However, when the fabric is cut such that a plurality of weft or warp threads thereof are oriented in parallel to the lengthwise direction and the warp threads thereof is given as a stretch yarn, the fabric has not been deformed as well as it has provided a good stretch. That is, the width W may be substantially equal to the width W′ of the stretch state.

More preferably, when the fabric is cut such that the warp thread is parallel to the lengthwise direction and given as the stretch yarn, the loss of the fabric is decreased and the productivity of the sweatband is more improved.

In addition, as shown in FIG. 2A and FIG. 2B, two types of fabric-covered sweatbands have been prepared and extended lengthwise in range of about 30% thereof. The one fabric-covered sweatband is designed such that a core sheet is covered by the bias cut fabric and the other fabric-covered sweatband is designed such that the core sheet is covered by the parallel cut fabric. The core sheet is made of a strip of elastic materials. The core sheet is preferably given as an elastic band which may stretchable lengthwise in a uniaxial direction. As a result, when the fabric-covered sweatband is designed such that the core sheet is covered by the bias cut fabric and also the stretch yarn are oriented at an angle of 45° from the lengthwise direction, it will be known that it is difficult that the fabric is not deformed because that the fabric is sewed to the core sheet by means of a seaming portion and thus it may have a rapidly decreased stretch, for example, a length of from L to L′. It is because that the bias cut fabric may be elongated by means of the texture deformation thereof rather than by means of the stretch yarn.

However, when the warp yarn are given as the stretch yarn, the fabric is cut such that the stretch yarns are parallel to the lengthwise direction, and the core sheet is stretchable lengthwise, the fabric as well as the core sheet may be sufficiently extended from L to L′, although the fabric is sewed to the core sheet. It is because that a stretch direction of the core sheet corresponds to a stretch direction of the stretch yarn and also the parallel cut fabric is elongated by means of the stretch yarn rather than by means of the texture deformation thereof.

Therefore, according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the core sheet may also be cut such that the warp thread thereof is oriented parallel to the lengthwise direction and the warp yarn may be given as the stretch yarn.

Now, a headwear having the same according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to FIG. 3.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a headwear having a sweatband according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the headwear includes a wearing portion 101 put on the wearer's head, a visor portion 103 extended from the wearing portion 101, and a sweatband 105 disposed in the lower portion of the wearing portion 101.

The sweatband 105 may be formed in a close circular shape such that it may be entirely connected along a circumferential direction to a lower portion of the wearing portion 101. And also, it may be formed in an open circular shape such that it may be partly connected along a circumferential direction to the lower portion of the wearing portion 101. Preferably, the sweatband 105 may be connected to the rear portion of the wearing portion 101 to which the visor portion 103 is not combined.

In addition, the sweatband 105 may absorb a sweat from the wearer' head or forehead as well as it provide elasticity along the circumferential direction thereof.

The sweatband 105 includes a core sheet 107 and a cover portion 109 wrapped around the core sheet 107. The core sheet 107 may be given as an elastic band. The elastic band may be formed in a close circular shape or in an open circular shape and stretched in a lengthwise direction. It is preferable to be stretched in a lengthwise direction in a uniaxial direction such that the sweatband is not slipped down or pressed excessively forehead.

The cover portion 109 is attached to the elastic band 107 by means of at least one seaming portion 111. The at least one seaming portion is formed by the stretch yarn along a lengthwise direction thereof or along a circumferential direction of the headwear.

The elastic band 107 may be woven by a multifilament yarn as the warp yarn and a monofilament yarn of 0.1 mm to 1.0 mm thickness as the weft yarn.

In this case, the multifilament yarn is formed such that the stretch yarn is regularly included into the warp yarn, and accordingly, the elastic band is prevented that the monofilament thrusts off the warp yarn and the elastic band has a valley-like mood entirely provided in a warp direction.

The monofilament yarn of about 0.1 mm to 1.0 mm thickness, i.e. weft yarn may provide elasticity so that the elastic band entirely supports a circular shape thereof and is prevented from slipping down to the wearing portion 101 and excessively pressing forehead.

According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the core sheet 107 contains one or a combination at least two selected from among the cotton, polyester and nylon in range of about 50% to 98%, and contains one or a combination of at least two selected from among a high stretch yarn, polyurethane yarn (spandex, Lycra, rubber yarn), and a synthetic rubber yarn such as neoprene in range of about 2% to 50%.

More preferably, it consists of about 80% polyester yarn and about 20% polyurethane yarn.

According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the cover portion 109 is made of a fabric. The fabric is formed by regularly inserting the stretch yarn into the warp yarn and is cut such that the stretch yarn is oriented in parallel to a lengthwise direction thereof.

In this case, the fabric contains one or a combination of at least two selected from among the cotton, polyester, nylon, wool and acryl in range of about 70% to 98%, and accordingly, it may provide sweat absorptive and dissipative prosperities etc. The fabric contains one or a combination of at least two selected from among the high stretch yarn and the polyurethane yarn (spandex or Lycra) in range of about 2% to 30%.

More preferably, it may be twill fabric consist of about 90% cotton and about 10% polyurethane yarn.

As described above, the sweatband is made along the stretch yarn direction. Thus, the sweatband may be more deformed by means of the stretch yarn rather than the texture deformation thereof, although the elastic band 107 is sewed to the covering portion. As a result, it may provide a wearing comport because it may be extended without a load.

And then, the sweatband is disposed and sewed along a circumferential direction in the lower portion of the wear portion to form at least one line of seam portion 111.

In this case, the sewing portion 111 may be made of the stretch yarn 113 such that the sweatband may be more stretched in a circumferential direction thereof.

Now, a relation between a stretch and a load according to the orientations of a plurality of threads of a fabric of a fabric-covered sweatband is described with reference to FIG. 4.

FIG. 4 is a graph showing a relation between a stretch and a load according to the orientations of a plurality of threads of a fabric of a fabric-covered sweatband when it is extended lengthwise.

Firstly, two different types of headwear are prepared and are respectively put on the same wearer so as to measure a load applied on the wearer's head when they are equally extended in a lengthwise direction (or in a circumferential direction). Herein, the one headwear has a sweatband designed such that the core sheet thereof is covered by the bias cut fabric and the other headwear has a sweatband designed such that the core sheet is covered by the parallel cut fabric.

TABLE 1 No. 1(bias cut No. 2(bias cut No. 3(parallel cut No. 4(parallel cut stretch fabric) fabric) fabric) fabric) rate(%) size(cm) load(gf) load(gf) load(gf) load(gf) 0.0 56.0 2140.96 1689.33 1405.31 1979.77 0.9 56.5 2816.09 2297.26 1855.44 2387.39 1.8 57.0 3508.58 3031.26 2219.16 2843.64 2.7 57.5 4305.92 3864.97 2670.89 3367.54 3.6 58.0 5177.45 VOID 3120.74 3900.29 4.5 58.5 VOID VOID 3614.65 4482.22 5.4 59.0 VOID VOID 4188.69 5098.79

In Table 1, No. 1 and No. 2 are related to the one headwear having a sweatband designed such that the core sheet thereof is covered by the bias cut fabric and No. 3 and No. 4 are related to the other headwear having a sweatband designed such that the core sheet is covered by the parallel cut fabric.

Referring to FIG. 4, when the two types of headwear are prepared to have same size and are equally extended in a lengthwise direction or in a circumferential direction thereof, No. 3 and No. 4 have a stretch two times than No. 1 and No. 2 at the same load or pressure. As a result, when the headwear has a sweatband designed such that the core sheet is covered by the parallel cut fabric, it has more excellent stretch.

As described above, the headwear according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention may have an good wearing comfort by increasing an elasticity of the sweatband when the sweatband is designed such that the core sheet is made of a band-type elastic material and the cover portion wrapped around the core sheet is made of the fabric cut in parallel to the orientation direction of the stretch yarn.

In addition, the headwear according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention may have a good esthetic feeling, productivity, and workability.

While this invention has been described in connection with what is presently considered to be practical exemplary embodiments, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments, but, on the contrary, is intended to cover various modifications and equivalent arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the appended claims. 

1. A headwear comprising: a wearing portion put on a head; a visor portion connected to the wearing portion; and a sweatband connected in the wearing portion and having a core sheet and a covering portion for covering the core sheet; wherein the covering portion is made of a fabric, the fabric includes a stretch yarn as a plurality of warp threads or weft threads and is cut such that the stretch yarn is oriented in parallel to a lengthwise direction.
 2. The headwear of claim 1, wherein the fabric of the covering portion contains one or a combination of at least two selected from among the cotton, polyester, nylon, wool, and acryl in range of about 70% to 98%.
 3. The headwear of claim 1, wherein the fabric of the covering portion contains one or a combination of at least two selected from among a high stretch yarn, spandex, and Lycra in range of about 2% to 30%.
 4. The headwear of claim 1, wherein the core sheet is woven by a mono filament yarn of about 0.1 mm to 1.0 mm thickness as the weft yarn.
 5. The headwear of claim 1, wherein the core sheet regularly includes a stretch yarn in a lengthwise direction and has a valley-like mood in the lengthwise direction thereof.
 6. The headwear of claim 4, wherein the core sheet contains one or a combination at least two selected from among the cotton, polyester and nylon in range of about 50% to 98%.
 7. The headwear of claim 6, wherein the core sheet contains one or a combination of at least two selected from among a high stretch yarn, a spandex, a Lycra, a rubber yarn, and a synthetic rubber yarn such as neoprene in range of about 2% to 50%.
 8. The headwear of claim 1, wherein the sweatband is disposed and sewed by at least one stretch yarn along a circumferential direction in the lower portion of the wearing portion. 